The Geographical Tradition: Episodes in the History of a Contested Enterprise

The Geographical Traditionpresents the history of an essentially contested tradition. By examining a series of key episodes in geography's history since 1400, Livingstone argues that the messy contingencies of history are to be preferred to the manufactured idealizations of the standard chronicles. Throughout, the development of geographical thought and practice is portrayed against the background of the broader social and intellectual contexts of the times. Among the topics investigated are geography during the Age of Reconnaissance, the Scientific Revolution and The Englightenment; subsequently geography's relationships with Darwinism, imperialism, regionalism, and quantification are elaborated.

David Livingstone is the author of Nathaniel Southgate Shaler and the Culture of American Science (1987), Darwin's Forgotten Defenders (1987) and The Preadamite Theory (1992), and of many articles on the history of goegraphy and the history of science. He is Reader in the School of Geosciences, at the Queen's University of Belfast.

"A major piece of work. Not since reading Glacken's Traces on
the Rhodian Shore have I read a book on the history of
geography that was equally bold in its ambition and erudite in
supporting its claims." John A. Agnew, Syracuse University

"He approaches five centuries of geographical work with zest,
sympathy, catholicity and (not infrequently) irreverence in an easy
style that grinds no particular axe. The reader is shown a
kaleidoscope of the different motives, contexts and spirit of those
who have taken part in this wide-ranging quest for knowledge.
Highly readable, and recommended to all students of the history of
geography and of science in general." David Hooson, University
of California at Berkeley

"Superb ... a real winner. A fine and well-written book that
will become the core of all courses and seminars in the history and
philosophy of our field." Peter R. Gould, Pennsylvania State
University

"It is clear that The Geographical Tradition is a
tour-de-force. I congratulate you on a major achievement ... the
best thing to come through my in-tray for many months." Peter
Haggett, University of Bristol

"Livingstone ... writes in a lively style, through which the
depth of his scholarship shines brightly ... Each chapter ... is a
gem: well-written, based on wide reading, and informative about
both the particular subject-matter and the book's general theme. An
excellent book ... which will surely stand the test of time as a
major contribution to the history and historiography of geography."
The Times Higher Education Supplement

"David Livingstone's book is an outstanding achievement, a
scholarly tour de force unmatched in previous writing on the
history and philosophy of geography as a distinct form of
knowledge. The scope of his project is so vast that no reviewer can
do justice to the complexity of its argumentation and the wealth of
its exemplification." Progress in Human Geography

"This arresting book is easily the best intellectual history of
geography since Clarence Clacken's Traces on the Rhodian
Shore." Australian Geographical Studies

"A fine example of intellectual history. Illuminating and
convincing." Nature

"A most interesting book concerning the history of geography,
with special reference to European and North American theatres
since the Middle Ages. Well written and contributes to an
understanding of the history of science in general and the history
of geography in particular. Helpful illustrations and a thorough
bibliography add to this well-produced work." Choice

"Elegant and eloquent." Times Literary Supplement

"Geographers, historians of geography, historians of science
and religion, and historians in general, take heed! This book is
one of the few discussions of the history of geography truly worth
reading and owning ... This is the work of a widely read,
imaginative, and gifted scholar who makes full use of the sources
available within the Anglo-Saxon world, dips periodically into the
non-Anglo-Saxon literature, and adds a good deal of his own insight
and perspective ... this is a marvellous book. Unapologetically
intellectual and rigorous, it is also engagingly and beautifully
written. It is a delight to read. It will prove an invaluable
source of ideas and further reading. It is also a book to show to
non-geographers with pride. Indeed, I suppose that it is part of a
geographic tradition." The Canadian Geographer

Instructors

Permissions

To apply for permission please send your request to permissions@wiley.com with
specific details of your requirements. This should include, the Wiley title(s), and the specific portion of the content you wish to re-use
(e.g figure, table, text extract, chapter, page numbers etc), the way in which you wish to re-use it, the circulation/print run/number of people
who will have access to the content and whether this is for commercial or academic purposes. If this is a republication request please include details
of the new work in which the Wiley content will appear.